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Chicago is one of the world’s great cities, home to amazing architecture, sensational food and warm, welcoming people. Here are 10 great things to see, do and eat, as well a wonderful place to lay your head at night, when you visit:

Iconic Food

From raucous shows to fab food, 10 great things in ChicagoBack to video

Portillo’s main restaurant on Ontario Street downtown is as Chicago as it gets; a wild emporium packed with sports paraphernalia, old cars hanging from the ceiling and other kitschy but fun pieces. They serve everything from Italian beef sandwiches to massive salads and desserts big enough to feed the starting five of the Chicago Bulls NBA basketball team. This also is one of the great places in the city to try a classic Chicago dog, which is always made with beef and always comes with mustard, onions, tomatoes, sliced pickles, vivid green relish, pickled hot peppers and celery salt which, as they say here, is “dragged through the garden.”

A wild and rollicking dinner show

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Looking for a truly spectacular and (dare I say it) unique show and dinner in Chicago? Teatro ZinZanni’s “Love, Chaos and Dinner” is a wild, rollicking, musical, sexy, dance-filled, athletic, gut-splittingly funny and wildly entertaining production. Look for everything from singing and dancing to inventive gymnastics, not to mention risqué comedy, singing priests, beheaded Barbie dolls and a bit of ping pong ball spitting. The leader of the troupe is a wildly entertaining fellow with an over-supply of makeup and a wonderful way with audience improv. The three-hour show takes place under a giant big top inside a Chicago office building and includes dinner. It’s not a cheap date (tickets start at $128 US), but it’s a ton of fun and probably like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

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Top museums

Museum of Contemporary Art ChicagoJim Byers

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the best museums on the planet; with everything from Van Gogh and Monet to ancient treasures from China and the Middle East. The piece de resistance is the installment featuring three windows done up by Marc Chagall in honour of America’s bicentennial in 1976. The blue glass shimmers and shines, and there are a million beautiful details. The museum’s architecture is equally appealing, with a stately, older wing and a stunning addition with a beautiful, minimalist courtyard. Culture fans also would do well to check out the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which is also right downtown. The exhibition on modern artist Virgil Abloh that was on recently was quite thought-provoking, as was a video on African-American life. The on-site restaurant, Marisol, is definitely worth checking out.

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A killer rooftop bar

London House rooftop bar, Chicago.Choose Chicago

The rooftop bar at London House is definitely the place to see and be seen in The Windy City. You’re way up high, overlooking the Chicago River, the Wrigley Building and other iconic buildings. The rooftop details of the hotel are worth a look of their own, with tons of beautifully carved stone and other architectural details we don’t see enough of in this modern age. We sampled a magnificent “Butterfly Spritz” with Hendricks Gin, Crème de Violette and grapefruit, as well as a very nice, spicy hibiscus margarita that I would personally give a bit more kick to. We had a lovely snack of burrata with grapes and focaccia. There’s also an indoor area for inclement weather.

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A night of magic

The Chicago Magic Lounge.Choose Chicago

The Chicago Magic Lounge on North Clark Street is a great spot for anyone who enjoys being amazed and loves to repeat “how did she do that” over and over again. The show is opened by emcee Jan Rose, who provides an entertaining and informative intro to Chicago-style magic and magic’s history in the city. Each night presents a different style or focus. Parlor magician Nathan Colwell performed an incredible card trick, where he found a seemingly endless number of nine of clubs cards in the deck. Another act involved a married couple who are mentalists. They pulled out a can with the label “later” on it and entrusted a member of the audience to have things put into the can. Further along in the show they were somehow able to list the things contributed, including a tube of toothpaste one visitor had bought earlier in the day. How do they do that?

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Classic Italian

Riccardo Trattoria is a classic Italian restaurant with a just right, old school feel. Located near sprawling Lincoln Park, just north of downtown, you’ll find dark furniture and simple photos on the wall. It’s the sort of place designed for food and conversation, not for Instagram influencers. And that’s a good thing. I couldn’t decide what pasta I wanted so the waiter brought me half-orders of an excellent bucatini carbonara and a very good veal ravioli with porcini, tomato and a light cream sauce. My wife’s Bolognese was excellent, and the Caesar Salads hit the jackpot. They have a huge selection of Italian wines, too.

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A sleek hotel

Loews Hotel in downtown Chicago.Choose Chicago

Loews Chicago is a terrific hotel that’s a short two blocks from the shops on Michigan Avenue and a block from the parks and attractions that line the Chicago River. Rooms are good-sized and have all the modern conveniences, as well as superbly comfortable beds, floor-to-ceiling windows and a sleek, stylish design. The desk in our room had four electrical outlets and four USB spaces for device charging, as well as a Keurig coffee maker. There’s a nice outdoor café on the second floor, and a very good-sized indoor pool for swimming laps. They also put out pastries and cookies in the afternoon. The on-site ETA restaurant serves a lovely berry/granola parfait at breakfast, and terrific avocado toast on a perfectly charred slice of toast. It’s served with salmon, a poached egg and grapefruit.

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A free tour

Chicago Greeter Tours is a fabulous enterprise that matches up enthusiastic locals with visitors. The locals provide a free tour of an area they either live in or know and enjoy, and the tourists get a feel for what it might be like to live there. We did a fun tour of the Wicker Park/Bucktown area, northwest of downtown Chicago, with tons of young families and lots of neighborhood appeal. Tour stops included Stan’s for famous donuts, a look at the stately homes on Beer Baron’s Row, strolls past engaging shops and restaurants and a walk along the 606, a former elevated railway that’s now a popular park.

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Trendy tacos

Mexican food at Barcocina, Chicago.Choose Chicago

Barcocina is a hip spot for tacos and other Mexican specialties, with a great patio and a lively, youthful feel. You’re just a short walk south of Wrigley Field, so it’s perfect for brunch if there’s a Cubs game being played. (Sadly for Chicago baseball fans, they missed the playoffs this year). We sampled very good pineapple tacos with pork that were smoky and sweet. The chicken and waffles was good, but not nearly as tasty as the tacos. We also had nice house margaritas They do an all-you-can-eat bottomless brunch that goes on for two hours, with all the food you can eat for $24.95 and all the food and drinks you can handle for $49.95.

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Argentina in the midwest

El Che Steakhouse and Bar is located in the trendy West Loop area of town, where you’ll find tons of start-up companies and hip restaurants. The hanger steak is tender, sweet and perfect. We also had great frites with parmesan and amazing broccoli with whipped feta, toasted pecans and a garlic-paprika emulsion. Grandma’s broccoli just won’t cut it after that. The drinks are just as good. Try La Mordida de Suarez, with rye, cynar, sherry and mole bitters. They have a nice happy hour with $7 cocktails and half-priced bar snacks, too.

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